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Preserving Ojibwe hymns means more than religious devotion
When 30 people gathered recently for an evening service at St. Columba Episcopal Church, they recited liturgy like thousands of other church congregations.
But when they began singing, it quickly became clear that theirs was not a typical Minnesota prayer service.
A visitor would have recognized the melody to "What A Friend I Have In Jesus," but the parishioners sang in Ojibwe, thanks to the translations early missionaries made to help convert Indians to Christianity.
Music is a time honored part of worship in most religions. For many Ojibwe people in northern Minnesota, hymns are much more than an expression of religious devotion. They represent a unique piece of Ojibwe culture tribal that members are trying to preserve.
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White Earth Tribal Chair Erma Vizenor, one of the singers at the service, said it's critical to keep the Ojibwe language alive.
"This is one way we can keep it," she said. "We can use it, we can share it, we can build community with it."
Vizenor grew up with Ojibwe hymn singing and traditional spiritual practices. She remembers neighbors gathering in her grandparents' tiny two-room home to sing, and her grandparents explaining traditional ceremonies.
Although Christian clergy tried to end traditional Indian spiritual practices, Vizenor said, the native-language hymns the church brought the reservation have become part of the complex Ojibwe culture
Vizenor said she is active in the Christian church, but still comfortable with traditional spiritual practices. For her, both can reflect the spiritual traditions of Ojibwe people.
"Our spirituality is one of prayer," she said. "And even our traditionalism is not a religion, but it's a way of life in how we respect Creator and take care of whatever Creator has given us and take care of one another."
Today, some of the most active groups of hymn singers are on the White Earth, Red Lake and Leech Lake reservations. Vizenor estimates there are more than 400 people who sing at funerals and wakes, church services and community celebrations.
"Even our traditionalism is not a religion, but it's a way of life in how we respect Creator and take care of whatever Creator has given us and take care of one another."
After the church service, parishioners gathered in the basement for a meal, and about a dozen people lingered around a table to sing more hymns.
Charles "Punkin" Hanks hunched over his song book, shoulder length black hair framing his deeply lined face.
"I've been doing this for 33 years," said Hanks, 72. "They call me to go Red Lake, Cass Lake. Any place there's a wake, funeral. I go into the schools, wherever they want me to sing. It doesn't matter what denomination, where I can help out, I go."
Hanks said he began singing because he thought it was important to keep the tradition alive. For him, it's much like the drum used in traditional ceremonies.
"You know, the drum is a healing thing that kind of helps you out," he said. "Same with our songs. When we start singing like that it's a healing process for the people and a lot of people that hear that say it's a nice feeling they get from listening to our songs you know."
Hanks was part of a group that recorded Ojibwe hymns for the Smithsonian Institution collection a few years ago.
Ed Smith, who lives in Pine Point, a tiny community across the reservation, grew up with the Ojibwe hymns, but has been singing for about 12 years. Smith, 70, worries the tradition might be fading.
"I am somewhat concerned that the young people are not picking it up as readily as I would like to see," he said. "There is some concern this might be part of our culture that will be no more."
Although Smith doesn't speak Ojibwe, for him, the hymns are an important connection to culture.
A source of strength and comfort, the Ojibwe hymn tradition is certain to continue, Vizenor said.
"I've seen our singing be a part of social change. I've seen our singing bring our people together during times of the worst times of mourning and death. I've seen our singing celebrate on Easter morning," she said. "It strengthens us. I love the Ojibwe hymn singing. I hope I can sing it until I draw my last breath."
• Follow Dan Gunderson on Twitter: http://twitter.com/gundersondan


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Old Irene and Gumball Machines
For my personal tips on surviving a hurricane without stopping your cookie decorating routine, head on over to Cookies and Cups where I'll show you how to make these little cuties. No little ol' hurricane is going to stop our decorating fun. I HAVE mentioned that I am obsessed, right ?
But seriously, I try to keep things light when talking about serious stuff and things that scare me, but I know what it's like to live in the aftermath of a hurricane. I've been thinking of all of my east coast friends, and I hope everything is as normal as can be very soon.
In the meantime, I'm helping my friend, Shelly, who had the {dis}pleasure of meeting mean ol' Irene, up close and personal, to hold down the fort. Try to drop by and tell her we're thinking of her.

subset: commoncrawl


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While Hassad plans to expand globally by acquiring agricultural companies -- particularly in north Africa, the Americas, Europe and south-east Asia -- it has been focused on land acquisitions in Australia.
Bloomberg | May 31, 2012Qatar's farm fund to target grain, wool exports from Australia
By Nichola Saminather
Qatar's sovereign wealth fund, with an estimated $100 billion in assets, expects to start exports of grains and wool from Australia as it nears completion of a A$500 million ($486 million) farm investment plan.
Hassad Food Co., the agricultural investment arm of the Qatar Investment Authority, is shifting its focus to commercial production from food security and is unlikely to buy new properties when it reaches its purchase goal within a year, said Tom McKeon, chief executive officer of Hassad Australia.
"We're approaching completion of our business plan; once we get there, our prime focus will be on developing the assets we have," McKeon said in an telephone interview from Sydney yesterday. "It doesn't make sense for the Qatari government to concentrate too large an investment on Australia."
Hassad may invest 500 million euros ($618 million) around the world this year, the company's Chairman Nasser al-Hajri told Bloomberg News earlier last month. The Australian operation's most recent purchases include a 40,000 hectare (154 square mile) property in Telopea Downs in Victoria state, and 31,500 hectares of farmland in three locations in Western Australia this year, to boost supplies of sheep, wheat and barley, McKeon said.
Wheat inventories in Australia, the world's second-biggest shipper, will probably hold above average this year even as handlers seek to maximize exports following a record harvest, Emerald Group Australia Pty said last month. Low sheep stock levels in Australia, the world's biggest exporter of wool, will support the market, Rabobank International said in April.
Overseas Ventures
Qatar, which imports 90 percent of its food, invested $2 billion last year, Hussain al-Abdulla, a board member at the Qatar Investment Authority, said in April. The company started wheat and animal feed production in Sudan in 2009, and announced plans to buy Turkish farmland last year.
While Hassad plans to expand globally by acquiring agricultural companies -- particularly in north Africa, the Americas, Europe and south-east Asia -- it has been focused on land acquisitions in Australia, McKeon said.
"The way the real estate market is set up in Australia, there's been no need to buy a company to buy the land," McKeon said. "Most of the properties we've purchased have been from willing sellers, and a lot have been on the market already."


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Characterisation of glial reactions in the 6-OHDA model of Parkinson's disease: a time course study
Suche in Medline nach
Veröffentlicht: | 11. September 2012 |
Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) leading to dopaminergic deafferentation in the projection region, the striatum. Glial cells play a crucial role in mediating inflammatory and oxidative processes in PD and may modify the progression of PD. Much is already known about the implication of microglia, the main phagocytic innate immune cells of the brain, in PD pathogenesis. However, the role of astrocytes and oligodendrocytes is far less understood in PD. To this aim, we focused on the glial response in an acute rat model of PD, the 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesion model. To analyze the temporal and spatial pattern of the inflammatory and glial response, unilateral single injection of 6-OHDA into the medial forebrain bundle of 12-week old Wistar rats was performed and analyzed one, two, or six weeks post-lesioning. Striatal deafferentation was already observed one week post-lesioning and progressed until 6 weeks after lesioning. To characterize the microglial response, sections were stained using Iba-1 expression. During the period of 6 weeks, we observed a progressive increase of bilateral Iba-1 positive cells in the striatum. Microglial phenotype changed from a "resting", surveying character to an activated, phag ocytic state in 6-OHDA lesioned animals. A moderate but not significant increase in the number of GFAP-positive astrocytes was observed in the striatum of lesioned rats at all time points. In contrast, no changes in GST-pi positive oligodendrocytes regarding morphology and number were observed at neither of the time points analyzed. Our data suggest that microglia represent the main glial population for developing disease-modifying therapeutic approaches in PD.


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Tampa Tie-Dye Top
- 100% Polyester
- Model is 5'9" wearing a size small
We want you to LOVE your experience shopping with Southern Sisters! You are important to us, so if you
have any questions or problems, don't hesitate to reach out to us, we are here to help you.
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The City of Cedar Hill requests that residents water according to the recommended watering schedule:
X = No watering
NOTE: You may water your outdoor plants from hand held containers at any time and soaker hoses may be used on your foundations. This will keep water evaporation to a minimum. Vehicle washing should occur on the lawn using a bucket or at a commercial car wash.


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A beautiful glazed ceramic tea bowl, handcrafted in Japan. Designed specifically for the mixing, drinking, and enjoyment of Matcha. After whisking, one drinks Matcha directly from the ceramic tea bowl. You may want more than one bowl so that you can share this traditional Matcha experience with family and friends. Lead free glaze.
A beautiful glazed ceramic tea bowl, handcrafted in Japan and designed specifically for the mixing, drinking, and enjoying Matcha powdered green tea. Lead free.
Although the art of formal tea ceremony began in China during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 A.D.), it wasn't until the Sung Dynasty (690-1279 A.D.) that the art of making ceramic tea ceremony utensils rapidly developed. It was during this period that the tea bowls became wider and deeper to facilitate the whisking of tea.
Known as 'chawan' in Japan, handcrafted ceramic tea bowls are considered the best for serving Matcha. The bowls are made to very specific sizes, shapes, and types. They vary depending on the event, the season, and the degree of formality with which the tea is being prepared and served. Because the color of Matcha is an attractive light green, the more traditional tea bowls are usually dark - black, brown, gray, or a combination - which best accents the natural beauty of the tea.
Unlike brewed teas that are steeped and discarded, with Matcha the whole leaf is consumed, completely dissolved and whisked in the tea bowl. After whisking, one drinks the hot Matcha directly from the bowl. You may want more than one bowl to share this traditional Matcha experience with family and friends.
Because the Eden Matcha Bowl is handcrafted and delicate, we recommended hand washing and drying to prevent breakage. Dishwashing is not recommended.


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Posing for this magazine's photographer as though he would rather be doing something else is one of Ste. Marie's co-owners, Robert LeBlanc. Despite the business he's in – restaurants, nightclubs and bar/lounges – LeBlanc doesn't seem to like being the center of attention. He would rather be the instigator, interviewing the interviewer.
Which makes it hard to interview him. He gets me a drink, asks me about what my plans are later that night and then tells me that I could do better than the last man I dated. I try squeezing in questions, but am often queried by him or am met with "Oh no, that answer is boring. I'm boring." I say, "No you're not – or else I wouldn't be interviewing you."
I know what he's doing: trying to deflect attention away from himself. It is backfiring magnificently. No, Robert ("Ro" to his friends), gaze at me earnestly with your brown eyes shaded by bangs, you're not going to thwart me.
It is this charm – self-deprecating, yet sincere – as well as hard work and smart business acumen that has made pretty much anything LeBlanc has opened or managed in New Orleans a success: Republic (a nightclub) was his first project, then LePhare and loa (two bars/lounges in partnership with Sean Cummings of International House Hotels), Capdeville (a British-style "gastropub" with James Eustis), Sylvain (a brasserie with Sean McCusker) and Ste. Marie (a French restaurant with a modern twist with Pierre and Leon Touzet of Patois). With the exception of Republic, they're all part of the Lifestyle Revolution Group.
So how does a nice boy from Houma become the restaurant and nightlife impresario of New Orleans? After a brief stint in finance in New York City, LeBlanc founded a record label with a friend, Renaissance Records, for which he produced hip-hop and indie albums. Not finding the record business fulfilling ("I think we sold 18 copies"), he went looking for another outlet.
Then Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, and the opportunity arose to do something positive, something that his family has been a part of almost since the city was founded. His father's side of the family has been in New Orleans for more than 250 years, with one ancestor who supposedly came over with Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville (according to LeBlanc, that hasn't been substantiated). Another of his ancestors was the first Royal Architect of New Orleans. His mother's family has been in New Orleans since the mid-19th century.
As the city started to rebuild, LeBlanc and his partners founded Republic, a nightclub that featured up-and-coming and established musicians and DJs. It also presented special events, such as fashion shows. It became the center of nightlife in the city – if you're a celebrity in town, a stop at Republic is generally a given.
Ever restless, this self-proclaimed "geek" eventually turned his eye to restaurants. These days you can probably see him at his latest creation, Ste. Marie, popping his head in the kitchen, and commiserating with customers – one of whom, when I was there, was Mardi Gras World's Barry Kern; LeBlanc and Kern are co-chairs with the Hospitality and Entertainment Committee as sitting members for the Host Committee for Super Bowl 2013.
As I leave Ste. Marie, I turn around and see that LeBlanc is already working the room again.
Why Republic in New Orleans? It was the only way I could figure out how to get back here to New Orleans, as opposed to staying in New York City after our marketing firm was sidelined by Katrina.
I never thought it would work out as well as it did, but was sure that Republic was what New Orleans needed. And I needed a job.
You sold your interest in Republic to your COO. I sold it to Matt Alleman. He's been with me since we started Republic and he's got the vision and leadership to see it through its maturation stage. It is just a completely different operational setup than the restaurants and even LePhare. As such, I felt it would be best to sell it.
What prompted you to expand to restaurants? Just a natural evolution. It is more sophisticated and less static a product offering in terms of different menu items, wine list and level of interaction with guests. Also, restaurants are the primary choice of our friends and colleagues in terms of where to hang out these days.
I can't stay awake past 11:30 p.m. anymore and started listening only to rock and classical music. Two death knells to any bar owner.
Do you think New Orleans is a town for entrepreneurs? Yes. It is, maybe with the exception of Paris, Rome and a few others, one of the most universally beloved cities in the world. So everyone is cheering for us and watching us.
As such, if you can make something happen in New Orleans, people in the rest of the country and world will notice it. You can garner an international audience by being based in New Orleans in a very affordable, nurturing community. It's the only place to be.
Why do you think you succeeded? Complicated answer, but it starts with the values that your parents, family and friends instill through everyday life experiences as you go through the early part of life. Things like work ethic – ethics in general – loyalty, honesty, humility and being courageous enough to take chances, or even fail and then try again.
I think, as we all were by choosing to return to New Orleans despite having options elsewhere, the next step was just the courage to make some really bold choices in terms of projects to which we've committed. And ultimately it comes down to the combination of two things. The first is being fortunate enough to work with really committed, talented people in the form of partners, administrators, staff, and suppliers/vendors who are responsible for helping to execute our vision. The second is an extremely dedicated, supportive and passionate group of guests who support us time and time again, even when we slightly miss the mark.
What businessmen have inspired you? Sean MacPherson, Ralph Lauren, Steve Wynn. And my grandfather.
What's next for you? To figure out the best way to bring that which makes New Orleans magical in terms of entertaining people in restaurants and maybe even hotels (If I can convince Sean Cummings!) to other cities throughout the Southeast that would appreciate the character, hospitality, wit and charm that is the city of New Orleans.
In your job, what celebrity has left you speechless? This never happens. (But the exceptions are Malcolm Gladwell and Magic Johnson.)
True Confession: I can only cook grilled cheese and pop-tarts.
At a Glance
Profession: Partner in LePhare, Capdeville, Ste. Marie and Sylvain Age: 33 Born/Grew up: Houma, La. One of three children: he has a sister in Montreal and a brother in New York City. Family: Wife, Danielle; son, Bear, 7 months; Argentinean mastiff, Jackson Education: Graduated from Vandebilt Catholic High School in Houma; a bachelor of science in economics and finance from Loyola University New Orleans. Favorite book: The Count of Monte Cristo Favorite movie: The Shawshank Redemption Favorite TV show: "Criminal Minds" and "CSI: New York" Favorite food: Steak with béarnaise sauce Favorite restaurant (that isn't one of yours): Patois Favorite music/musicians: Sigur Rós, Explosions in the Sky, Dave Grohl, The Strokes Hobby: Wakeboarding, boxing Favorite vacation spot: Southampton, N.Y.


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What People Really Think About Southern Baptists
The 2013 Southern Baptist Convention: Notes and Prayers
In my Saturday post, I shared with you that I would be writing about my denomination's annual meeting in Houston this week. While the primary audience is Southern Baptists, I know that a significant segment of the readership of this blog is non-SBC. To you non-SBCers: Thank you for allowing me to speak directly to my own denomination. Feel free to listen and comment at anytime.
I arrived on Saturday, so I have already had an opportunity to interact with a number of people. Most of those I have spoken with are here for the SBC. A few of them, though, work in Houston. I would like to share summary comments from two of them.
Two Voices: Some Notes
Because the crowds were relatively small, I had the opportunity to interact with two servers at a restaurant. The first server was a transplant from New Orleans, coming to Houston in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. He is, by his own statement, not a Christian. Below are direct quotes from him. I'm sure I've missed a few words, but I tried my best to write it as he said it.
"I know Southern Baptists pretty well," he began. "I've been in the restaurant business in New Orleans when you when came to town. You know, you Baptists are at your best when you're trying to do something for people. You were incredible helping us in New Orleans after Katrina. But you can be pretty obnoxious at convention time. I told my fellow employees at the restaurant to get ready for small tips, lots of gospel tracts to go with the cheap tips, and plenty of people ordering desserts."
The second server is not a Christian either. In view of the SBC coming to town, I asked what she thought of Southern Baptists (As a side note, I offered anonymity and a good tip to both servers.). Below are her words as I can best recall.
"Well you fight a lot," she responded. "You are against a lot of things." I interjected to ask her what positive things she knew about Southern Baptists. An uncomfortable silence ensued. She responded this time with a bit of hesitation. "I really don't know. I guess I don't know much about you guys."
Double ouch.
My Prayers
We are guests of Houston. We are in the residents' city for a short while. May I offer a few short prayer requests as we interact with the people of Houston?
- I pray that the words we say, particularly those that others may hear, will be pleasing to God and edifying to others.
- I pray that we will realize that the monetary tips we leave in restaurants, with parking attendants, and others give a huge first impression on the type of people we are. I pray we will not be cheap and selfish.
- I pray that we will engage in small acts of kindness with others, that they will see that there is something positively different about us.
- I pray that we will begin each day in Houston with a prayer that God will use us among the people here even for just a few days.
- I pray that we will not be demanding nor condescending to anyone.
- I pray that the way we interact together as Southern Baptists will be a positive witness to the world. The world is indeed listening to every word we say in this hugely public setting.
Welcome to Houston
Welcome to Houston fellow Southern Baptists. I hope to see many of you. Above all, however, I hope that Houston will see Christ in us.
That is my hope. That is my prayer.


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I don't know if electric cars are the answer, but I do think electricity will play a larger part of how we move things around in the future. Overall it's more efficient, if we can figure out how to generate it well, and also provide it to vehicles in an efficient manner.
This article on smart car charging is fascinating to me. It essentially moves the cost of the power from the owner of the outlet providing the power, to the person using the power. I don't know how feasible this is, or how much it would cost to deploy this in the US, but it's a good idea.
I am, however, concerned about the security implications. How many people will attempt to hack this and charge others? How much of a legal issue will we have with disputes?


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Grant Thornton, LLP
Grant Thornton, LLP, of Alexandria, Virginia, protests the terms of request for quotations (RFQ) No. 781754, issued by the Defense Logistics Agency for financial audit support services. Grant Thornton contends that the solicitation improperly employs a lowest-price, technically acceptable evaluation scheme and improperly provides for the use of an online reverse auction during negotiations.
The decision issued on the date below was subject to a GAO Protective Order. This redacted version has been approved for public release.
Matter of: Grant Thornton, LLP
File: B-408464
Date: September 25, 2013
Alexander J. Brittin, Esq., Brittin Law Group, PLLC, and Jonathan D. Shaffer, Esq., and Mary Pat Buckenmeyer, Esq., Smith Pachter McWhorter PLC, for the protester.
ChristinaLynn E. McCoy, Esq., Defense Logistics Agency, for the agency.
Matthew T. Crosby, Esq., and Sharon L. Larkin, Esq., Office of the General Counsel, GAO, participated in the preparation of the decision.
1. Protest challenging agencys decision to use a lowest-price, technically acceptable source selection scheme in a solicitation for financial audit services is denied where record reflects that prior to issuance of the solicitation, agency officials identified and documented reasonable bases for using such an approach that are not inconsistent with Federal Acquisition Regulation guidance regarding use of the lowest-price, technically acceptable source selection process.
2. Protest challenging solicitations provision for an online reverse auction during negotiations is denied where nothing in the record or the solicitation suggests that that conducting such an auction necessarily will result in a flawed competition.
Grant Thornton, LLP, of Alexandria, Virginia, protests the terms of request for quotations (RFQ) No. 781754, issued by the Defense Logistics Agency for financial audit support services. Grant Thornton contends that the solicitation improperly employs a lowest-price, technically acceptable evaluation scheme and improperly provides for the use of an online reverse auction during negotiations.
We deny the protest.
The RFQ, issued on May 17, 2013 in accordance with the Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) procedures of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) subpart 8.4, sought quotations from vendors holding FSS contracts under Schedule 520, Financial and Business Solutions (FABS), and Schedule 874, Mission Oriented Business Integrated Services (MOBIS). RFQ at 1-2.[1] The solicitation contemplated the establishment of multiple BPAs, with ordering periods of five years, under which the agency would issue fixed-price task orders. Id. at 4, 43.
In general terms, the solicitation sought independent public accounting firm services to validate the agencys audit readiness. Id. at 1. The solicitation incorporated a performance work statement (PWS) that established the following three task areas: examination of agency financial systems and processes; independent verification and validation of critical corrective action plans; and examination of management assertions. Id. at 3, 11-37.
The solicitation provided that the BPAs would be established based on the lowest-priced, technically acceptable quotations,[2] and that technical acceptability would be evaluated considering two factors: technical/management capabilities and past performance. Id. at 42-43. The technical/management capabilities factor included the following five subfactors: ability to issue audit opinion in accordance with Government Accountability Office government auditing standards; vendor experience; key personnel; quality control assurance; and contractor teaming arrangement. Id.
With respect to price, vendors were required to complete and submit separate pricing schedules for each of the five BPA ordering years. Id. at 50; RFQ mod. No. 0006 at 2-4. Each pricing schedule included 10 labor categories specific to this procurement and the estimated hours for each labor category in each of the five BPA ordering years. RFQ mod. 0006 at 2-4. The PWS included labor category descriptions for each of the labor categories in the pricing schedules. RFQ at 31-34. Each labor category description identified certain minimum requirements in terms of years of experience with specific types of work, as well as licensure, certification, and educational requirements. Id.
Vendors were to complete the pricing schedules by appropriately mapping their FABS or MOBIS FSS labor categories to the labor categories in the schedules. RFQ mod. 0006 at 2. Vendors also were to quote discounted FSS rates for each labor category in each BPA ordering year. Id. For purposes of illustration, the pricing schedule for BPA ordering year two is shown below.
BPA Year Two | |||||
| FSS Labor Category | Est. Hours | GSA/FSS Rate | Discounted Rate | Est. Total Price |
Information Systems (IS) Partner/Principal | |
| | | |
IS Senior Manager | | 25,495 | | | |
IS Audit Managers | | 30,122 | | | |
Senior IS Associates | | 65,350 | | | |
IS Staff | | 46,196 | | | |
Partner/Principal/Director | | 2,474 | | | |
Senior Managers | | 2,113 | | | |
Managers | | 4,310 | | | |
Senior Associates | | 56,239 | | | |
Staff | | 51,775 | | | |
Id. at 3.
The solicitation advised vendors that [t]he contracting officer intends to utilize on-line reverse auctioning to obtain the lowest price. RFQ at 42. In this regard, the solicitation further advised that [i]f the Contracting Officer determines that use of on-line reverse auctioning to conduct price negotiations is appropriate, the Contracting Officer will notify [vendors] of this decision and provide further instructions.[3] Id.
Finally, the solicitation required vendors to form contractor team arrangements whereby a minimum of 40 percent of the labor dollars for each task order issued under the BPAs would be dedicated to a small business team member. RFQ at 4-6, 40.
Grant Thornton challenges several aspects of the solicitations terms, including its use of a lowest-price, technically acceptable evaluation scheme, and the use of an online reverse auction during negotiations. We have considered all of Grant Thorntons arguments, and we conclude, based on the record, that none have merit. Grant Thorntons principal contentions are discussed below.
As stated above, Grant Thornton asserts that the solicitation improperly employs a lowest-price, technically acceptable selection scheme. Protest at 10-14; Comments at 5-16. Grant Thornton apparently believes that the solicitation should instead employ a price/technical tradeoff selection scheme. According to Grant Thornton, a lowest-price, technically acceptable source selection scheme is not appropriate because the services being procured are highly complex and involve a high degree of risk. Protest at 10-11; Comments at 6-15. In this regard, Grant Thornton contends that
only highly qualified [independent public accounting] firms with staff that meet strict professional, experience and educational requirements can even bid for the audit and attestation services. The services to be performed by the qualified [independent public accounting] firms for this procurement are subject to multiple accounting and auditing standards, laws and regulations reflecting the high degree of professional judgment and expertise that is expected of the accounting professionals who will conduct the audit and attestation services under the RFQ. The highly subjective nature of the work introduces complexities and risk to the procurement.
Comments at 3.
In support of its position that the nature of the services being procured prohibits the use of a lowest-price, technically acceptable selection scheme, Grant Thornton cites the following guidance found in FAR sections 15.101 and 15.101-2(a), respectively:
[I]n acquisitions where the requirement is clearly definable and the risk of unsuccessful contract performance is minimal, cost or price may play a dominant role in source selection.
* * * * *
The lowest price technically acceptable source selection process is appropriate when best value is expected to result from selection of the technically acceptable proposal with the lowest evaluated price.
Protest at 10 (quoting FAR §§ 15.101, 15.101-2(a)); Comments at 6-7 (same). Grant Thornton also cites various portions of the PWS which, according to Grant Thornton, reflect that the services being procured are highly complex and involve a high degree of risk.[4] Protest at 12-14; Comments at 10-15.
The determination of a contracting agencys needs and the best method of accommodating them are matters primarily within the agencys discretion. Crewzers Fire Crew Trans., Inc., B-402530, B-402530.2, May 10, 2010, 2010 CPD ¶ 117 at 3; G. Koprowski, B-400215, Aug. 12, 2008, 2008 CPD ¶ 159 at 3. Mere disagreement with the agencys judgment concerning the agencys needs and how to accommodate them does not show that the agencys judgment is unreasonable. Cryo Techs., B-406003, Jan. 18, 2012, 2012 CPD ¶ 29 at 2; G. Koprowski, supra. For the reasons discussed below, we see no basis to object to the agencys decision to use a lowest-price, technically acceptable selection scheme.
The record reflects that prior to issuance of the solicitation, members of the agencys acquisition and program offices met to discuss the use of a lowest-price, technically acceptable source selection scheme. Agency Report (AR), Tab 12, Combined Acquisition Strategy Review Panel (ASRP)/Integrated Acquisition Review Board (IARB) Approval Meeting Minutes, at 4-5. During the meeting, the agencys program representatives stated that they understood that under a lowest-price, technically acceptable selection scheme, the agency could not elect to pay a premium for services that exceed the minimum requirements. Id. at 4. They also advised that for purposes of establishing the pool of vendors at the BPA level (rather than awarding task orders to individual vendors), the use of a lowest-price, technically acceptable source selection scheme was sufficient. Id. Finally, following the meeting, they suggested changes to the solicitations technical evaluation criteria to ensure that the minimum requirements for technical acceptability were appropriate for the type of services being procured.[5] See AR, Tab 12, ASRP/IARB Approval Meeting Minutes, at 6.
Following this meeting, the contracting officer documented the following determination not to use a tradeoff process in this procurement:
There is no justification for using a Best Value trade-off for this requirement as there are no items to be traded off. There are certain requirements as set forth in the evaluation plan and the RFQ that must be met by the contractor in order to be determined technically acceptable. Once technical acceptability has been determined, price will be the governing factor. The customer did not see the need to evaluate technical/management approach (for the requirements in the PWS) because they consider firm licensure/certification to be enough indication of capability/knowledge and [because] technical/
management approach will be evaluated at the [task order] level as needed. Task orders will be evaluated as either [lowest-price, technically acceptable] or trade-off based on the requirement and contracting determination.
AR, Tab 7, Acquisition Plan, at 8. In other words, the contracting officer determined that a tradeoff process was not justified for two reasons: the customer (i.e., the agency program office) believed that consideration of whether a vendor meets certain objective accounting industry licensure and certification standards would adequately reflect whether the vendor could perform the solicitations overarching requirements; and the agency reserved the right to make price/technical tradeoff decisions when awarding task orders under the BPAs based on a vendors specific technical approach to a specific task order requirement.
The terms of the solicitation are consistent with the reasoning found in the contracting officers determination. For example, the technical/management capabilities subfactors generally set forth minimum, objective, accounting industry-related qualifications that vendors must demonstrate in order to be found technically acceptable,[6] and the solicitation advises that a tradeoff evaluation process may be used at the task order level. RFQ at 38-40, 43.
Based on the above, we find that the agency acted within the bounds of its discretion when it determined not to use a tradeoff source selection process in this procurement. Further, we do not view the agencys decision to use a lowest-price, technically acceptable source selection scheme in this solicitation to be at odds with the guidance cited by Grant Thornton in FAR sections 15.101 and 15.101-2(a). In sum, on the record here, we view Grant Thorntons arguments to be mere disagreement with the agencys judgment regarding how best to accommodate its needs. See PDL Toll, B-402970, Aug. 11, 2010, 2010 CPD ¶ 191 at 2; Crewzers Fire Crew Trans., Inc., supra, at 4. This basis of protest is denied.
Grant Thornton also challenges the agencys contemplated use of an online reverse auction during negotiations. According to Grant Thornton, such a procedure is improper because the complex nature of the services being procured prevents an apples to apples comparison of vendor pricing. Protest at 18-20; Comments at 19-20. In support of this position, Grant Thornton points out that the solicitation directs vendors to map their FABS and MOBIS FSS labor categories to the ten labor categories established in the solicitation for this procurement. Protest at 19. Grant Thornton contends that because competing vendors may map different FSS labor categories to the same labor category in the solicitation, vendors may quote FSS labor categories with differing levels of experience, and [t]here will be no way to fairly compare or assess what type of employee is being offered. Protest at 19.
It is fundamental that a contracting agency must provide a common basis for the preparation and the submission of quotations and not disparately evaluate vendors with respect to the same requirements. Advanced Tech. Sys., Inc., B-296493.5, Sept. 26, 2006, 2006 CPD ¶ 147 at 13; AVL Books.Com, Inc., B-295780, Mar. 28, 2005, 2005 CPD ¶ 46 at 2.
As an initial matter, we note that the solicitation here requires vendors to submit completed pricing schedules with their quotations. RFQ at 50. Thus, even if we were to accept Grant Thorntons position that the solicitation precludes an apples-to-apples comparison of the services being priced, this alleged solicitation flaw would exist regardless of whether the solicitation contemplates an online reverse auction during negotiations.
In any event, we see no merit in Grant Thorntons argument. As discussed above, the PWS includes labor category descriptions that specify minimum requirements for each labor category in terms of years of experience with specific types of work and licensure, certification, and educational requirements. RFQ at 31-34. Because the FSS labor categories that vendors are to map to this solicitations labor categories must meet these minimum requirements, the solicitation establishes a common basis for evaluating the services that the vendors will be pricing.
As a separate argument against the agencys contemplated use of an online reverse auction during negotiations, Grant Thornton asserts that the solicitations requirement for vendors to form contractor team arrangements with small business team members also precludes an apples-to-apples comparison of pricing. Protest at 19-20; Comments at 19-20. In this context, Grant Thornton asserts that [b]ecause of the way the RFQ is worded, offerors do not submit a blended rate for each labor category, but instead will submit a [pricing schedule] for each [contractor team arrangement] member. Protest at 19-20. Because contractor team members may map different FSS labor categories to the solicitations labor categories, and because some team members may be unable to map any of their FSS labor categories to the solicitations labor categories, Grant Thornton maintains that an apples-to-apples comparison that is required for a reverse auction [is] impossible with this procurement. Id. at 20.
We view Grant Thorntons argument as raising a concern that primarily relates to the solicitations scheme for evaluating initial pricing rather than the solicitations provision for a potential online reverse auction during negotiations. We find it unclear why Grant Thornton believes that vendors may not submit blended rates (i.e., one rate for the team as a whole for each labor category) or why Grant Thornton believes that vendors should submit separate pricing schedules with differing rates for each team member. We see nothing in either the solicitation or the vendor questions and agency responses that would preclude vendors from submitting blended rates, or that would require vendors to submit separate, differing rates for each team member.
Further, we see the submission of blended rates as a logical mode of responding to the solicitation. However, if one or more vendors were to submit multiple, differing rates for one or more labor category, we believe it may be necessary for the agency to calculate blended rates (and do so in a reasonable manner) for purposes of evaluating vendor pricing on a common basis and for purposes of administering any task orders under any resulting BPA.[7] That said, because there are no express solicitation provisions to support Grant Thorntons argument, we see no basis to conclude that application of the terms of the solicitation as they exist necessarily will result in a flawed competition. Therefore, we see no basis to sustain this ground of protest.
To the extent that Grant Thorntons argument applies to the manner in which the agency will evaluate pricing in connection with an online reverse auction, we similarly see no basis sustain the protest. In this regard, the solicitation is not explicit with respect to what specific pricing will be the subject of bidding in the online reverse auction. See AR, Tab 24, Draft Reverse Auction Notification Letters. While it is conceivable that certain bidding arrangements could lead to a flawed evaluation of pricing, the details of the bidding structure are unknown at this juncture. Therefore, we conclude that at this time there is no basis to object to the solicitations provision regarding an online reverse auction during negotiations.
The protest is denied.
Susan A. Poling
General Counsel
[1] The solicitation was modified six times. Unless otherwise noted, citations to the solicitation in this decision refer to the conformed version of the solicitation that was issued as part of modification No. 0003.
[2] Although the solicitation anticipated the establishment of BPAs under vendors FSS contracts, some isolated sections of the solicitation referred to proposals from offerors. Because the distinction between a quotation and a proposal has no bearing on our analysis in this protest, we use the terms quotations and vendors throughout this decision.
[3] In addition, the solicitation incorporated the clause at Defense Logistics Acquisition Directive section 52.215-9023, Reverse Auction (Nov. 2012), which provides as follows:
The Contracting Officer may utilize on-line reverse auctioning as a means of conducting price discussions under this solicitation. If the Contracting Officer does not conduct a reverse auction, award may be made on the basis of initial offers or following discussions not using reverse auctioning as a pricing technique.
RFQ at 79. This clause also generally describes online reverse auction procedures.
[4] In support of its argument, Grant Thornton additionally cites guidance contained in two Under Secretary of Defense memoranda. Protest at 10; Comments at 7-8. The two Under Secretary of Defense memoranda, however, contain only internal agency policy, rather than mandatory procurement regulations. Accordingly, to the extent that Grant Thornton alleges that the agency did not adhere to the memoranda, such allegation is not subject to our review. See 901 North Fifth Street, LLC, B-404997, B-404997.2, July 22, 2011, 2011 CPD ¶ 152 at 8-9; MediaNow, Inc., B-405067, June 28, 2011, 2011 CPD ¶ 133 at 3 n.2.
[5] The suggested changes were incorporated into the solicitation. See RFQ at 39.
[6] For example, subfactor B, vendor experience, required a vendor to demonstrate minimum years of experience with certain types of financial audit work, including work under three specific industry standards. RFQ at 39. Subfactor C, key personnel, required a vendor to show that its key personnel possessed specific accounting industry licenses and certifications and that the key personnel had a minimum number of years experience with certain types of audit work. Id. at 39-40. Subfactor D, quality control assurance, required the submission of a recent peer review of the vendors audit work with at least a satisfactory rating. Id. at 40. As a separate challenge against the terms of this solicitation, Grant Thornton alleges that the solicitation fails to define what constitutes technical acceptability. Protest at 17-18; Comments at 17-18. Based on the objective parameters reflected in the above-discussed subfactor evaluation criteria, as well as similarly objective parameters found in the other subfactor evaluation criteria, we see no merit in Grant Thorntons allegation.
[7] Alternatively, the agency could request that the vendor submit revised pricing in the form of blended rates.


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15.4.46 THE PRESIDENT: The witness can retire. Dr. Kauffmann, does that close your case? DR. KAUFFMANN: Mr. President, I wish to call another witness with the permission of the Tribunal, the witness Neubacher. Hermann Neubacher, a witness, took the stand and testified as follows: BY THE PRESIDENT: Q. Will you state your full name? A. Hermann Neubacher. Q. Will you repeat this oath after me: I swear by God the Almighty and Omniscient that I will speak the pure truth and will withhold and add nothing? (Witness repeated oath.) DIRECT EXAMINATION BY DR. KAUFFMANN: Q. Witness, what was your position before the war and during the war? A. For five years during the war I was abroad on diplomatic missions. Before the war I was Mayor of the city of Vienna. Q. Do you know the defendant Kaltenbrunner? A. I do. Q. Since when have you known him? A. I met Kaltenbrunner for the first time in Austria in 1934 in connection with the so-called appeasement action of the engineer Reinthaler in Austria. Later I saw him again, after the Anschluss. Q. In the year 1943 Kaltenbrunner was appointed Chief of the R.S.H.A. Are you acquainted with that fact? A. Yes, I-am. Q. Do you know whether Kaltenbrunner was glad to take this position? A. Kaltenbrunner told me, I believe at the end of 1943, that he did not wish to take that position, that he had declined three times but then had received a military order to accept. He added that he had requested and had been given a promise to be relieved of this office after the war. Q. Did you have the opportunity or opportunities to judge how the defendant regarded his task as chief of the R.S.H.A.? A. I had a number of conversations with Kaltenbrunner during my official visits to the Main Office from time to time, but they all dealt with foreign intelligence and foreign policy. Q. The R.S.H.A. was in control of the Gestapo. Are you familiar with that fact? A. Yes. Q. According to your knowledge of the defendant's character, can you tell whether he had the prerequisites and the qualifications necessary for the position of chief of the police executive? A. Kaltenbrunner, as far as I was acquainted with him, had no knowledge of police work when he assumed his office. In the year 1941 he wanted to leave the police. Q. What proofs do you have for this? A. At that time I was a special representative for economic questions in Roumania. Kaltenbrunner told me that he did not like a police career and did not understand anything about police work and, furthermore, had no interest in it. He was interested, however, in foreign political affairs. THE PRESIDENT: The Tribunal does not think that is really evidence which ought to be given. It cannot affect his official position, the fact that he did not like it. Q. Kaltenbrunner was called the successor of Heydrich. Can that be considered entirely true? A. It cannot, and I know that because... THE PRESIDENT: That's a matter of argument. This witness's opinion cannot
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About: The Weka workbench contains a collection of visualization tools and algorithms for data analysis and predictive modelling, together with graphical user interfaces for easy access to this [...] Changes:This release include a lot of bug fixes and improvements. Some of these are detailed at http://jira.pentaho.com/projects/DATAMINING/issues/DATAMINING-771 As usual, for a complete list of changes refer to the changelogs.
About: The proposed hashing algorithm leverages the bootstrap sampling idea and integrates it with PCA, resulting in a new projection method called Bagging PCA Hashing. Changes:Initial Announcement on mloss.org.
About: a tool for marking samples in images for database building, also including algorithm of LBP,HOG,and classifiers of SVM (six kernels), adaboost,BP and convolutional networks, extreme learning machine. Changes:Initial Announcement on mloss.org.
About: This MATLAB package provides the Deep Quadratic Tree (DQT) and the Normalized Pixel Difference (NPD) based face detector training method proposed in our PAMI 2015 paper. It is fast, and effective for unconstrained face detection. For more details, please visit http://www.cbsr.ia.ac.cn/users/scliao/projects/npdface/. Changes:Initial Announcement on mloss.org.
About: Jie Gui et al., "How to estimate the regularization parameter for spectral regression discriminant analysis and its kernel version?", IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems for Video Technology, vol. 24, no. 2, pp. 211-223, 2014 Changes:Initial Announcement on mloss.org. |
About: Jie Gui, Zhenan Sun, Guangqi Hou, Tieniu Tan, "An optimal set of code words and correntropy for rotated least squares regression", International Joint Conference on Biometrics, 2014, pp. 1-6 Changes:Initial Announcement on mloss.org.
About: This is an unoptimized implementation of the RFD binary descriptor, which is published in the following paper. B. Fan, et al. Receptive Fields Selection for Binary Feature Description. IEEE Transaction on Image Processing, 2014. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/TIP.2014.2317981 Changes:Initial Announcement on mloss.org.
About: Kaiye Wang, Ran He, Wei Wang, Liang Wang, Tiuniu Tan. Learning Coupled Feature Spaces for Cross-modal Matching. In ICCV, 2013. Changes:Initial Announcement on mloss.org.
About: Q. Dong, Two-dimensional relaxed representation, Neurocomputing, 121:248-253, 2013, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neucom.2013.04.044 Changes:Initial Announcement on mloss.org.
About: This evaluation toolkit provides a unified framework for evaluating bag-of-words based encoding methods over several standard image classification datasets. Changes:Initial Announcement on mloss.org.
About: This letter proposes a new multiple linear regression model using regularized correntropy for robust pattern recognition. First, we motivate the use of correntropy to improve the robustness of the classicalmean square error (MSE) criterion that is sensitive to outliers. Then an l1 regularization scheme is imposed on the correntropy to learn robust and sparse representations. Based on the half-quadratic optimization technique, we propose a novel algorithm to solve the nonlinear optimization problem. Second, we develop a new correntropy-based classifier based on the learned regularization scheme for robust object recognition. Extensive experiments over several applications confirm that the correntropy-based l1 regularization can improve recognition accuracy and receiver operator characteristic curves under noise corruption and occlusion. Changes:Initial Announcement on mloss.org.
About: Robust sparse representation has shown significant potential in solving challenging problems in computer vision such as biometrics and visual surveillance. Although several robust sparse models have been proposed and promising results have been obtained, they are either for error correction or for error detection, and learning a general framework that systematically unifies these two aspects and explore their relation is still an open problem. In this paper, we develop a half-quadratic (HQ) framework to solve the robust sparse representation problem. By defining different kinds of half-quadratic functions, the proposed HQ framework is applicable to performing both error correction and error detection. More specifically, by using the additive form of HQ, we propose an L1-regularized error correction method by iteratively recovering corrupted data from errors incurred by noises and outliers; by using the multiplicative form of HQ, we propose an L1-regularized error detection method by learning from uncorrupted data iteratively. We also show that the L1-regularization solved by soft-thresholding function has a dual relationship to Huber M-estimator, which theoretically guarantees the performance of robust sparse representation in terms of M-estimation. Experiments on robust face recognition under severe occlusion and corruption validate our framework and findings. Changes:Initial Announcement on mloss.org.
About: JProGraM (PRObabilistic GRAphical Models in Java) is a statistical machine learning library. It supports statistical modeling and data analysis along three main directions: (1) probabilistic graphical models (Bayesian networks, Markov random fields, dependency networks, hybrid random fields); (2) parametric, semiparametric, and nonparametric density estimation (Gaussian models, nonparanormal estimators, Parzen windows, Nadaraya-Watson estimator); (3) generative models for random networks (small-world, scale-free, exponential random graphs, Fiedler random graphs/fields), subgraph sampling algorithms (random walk, snowball, etc.), and spectral decomposition. Changes:JProGraM 13.2 -- CHANGE LOG Release date: February 13, 2012 New features: -- Support for Fiedler random graphs/random field models for large-scale networks (ninofreno.graph.fiedler package); -- Various bugfixes and enhancements (especially in the ninofreno.graph and ninofreno.math package).
About: Classification rule based on Bayesian naive Bayes models with feature selection bias corrected Changes:Fetched by r-cran-robot on 2012-12-01 00:00:07.510624
About: Python Machine Learning Toolkit Changes:Added LASSO (using coordinate descent optimization). Made SVM classification (learning and applying) much faster: 2.5x speedup on yeast UCI dataset.
About: The UniverSVM is a SVM implementation written in C/C++. Its functionality comprises large scale transduction via CCCP optimization, sparse solutions via CCCP optimization and data-dependent [...] Changes:Minor changes: fix bug on set_alphas_b0 function (thanks to Ferdinand Kaiser - firstname.lastname@example.com)
About: MDP is a Python library of widely used data processing algorithms that can be combined according to a pipeline analogy to build more complex data processing software. The base of available algorithms includes signal processing methods (Principal Component Analysis, Independent Component Analysis, Slow Feature Analysis), manifold learning methods ([Hessian] Locally Linear Embedding), several classifiers, probabilistic methods (Factor Analysis, RBM), data pre-processing methods, and many others. Changes:What's new in version 3.3?
About: Text-to-Speech (TTS) is a kind of speech processing technology that converts text into speech. It involves phonetics, linguistics, digital signal processing technology, computer technology, multimedia technology, and other technologies. It is a frontier technology in Chinese information processing field. With TTS technology, any text used to be read by eyes can also be listened by ears. Changes:Initial Announcement on mloss.org.
About: We study the problem of robust feature extraction based on L21 regularized correntropy in both theoretical and algorithmic manner. In theoretical part, we point out that an L21-norm minimization can be justified from the viewpoint of half-quadratic (HQ) optimization, which facilitates convergence study and algorithmic development. In particular, a general formulation is accordingly proposed to unify L1-norm and L21-norm minimization within a common framework. In algorithmic part, we propose an L21 regularized correntropy algorithm to extract informative features meanwhile to remove outliers from training data. A new alternate minimization algorithm is also developed to optimize the non-convex correntropy objective. In terms of face recognition, we apply the proposed method to obtain an appearance-based model, called Sparse-Fisherfaces. Extensive experiments show that our method can select robust and sparse features, and outperforms several state-of-the-art subspace methods on largescale and open face recognition datasets. Changes:Initial Announcement on mloss.org. |


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Cell phone tracking raises privacy issues
The nation's cell phone service providers will soon know where every one of their customers is located. Privacy rights groups are asking what they are planning to do with the information.
All U.S. carriers are under Federal Communications Commission orders to make it possible for police to locate cell phones calling 911, something police can't do now. Carriers plan to use the same systems to sell services like helping stranded motorists even if they don't know their location, or finding the closest restaurant.
Because people with cell phone generally always carry their phone with them, the FCC regulations give the thriving market for personal information something its never had a chance to get: the exact locations at all times of more than 140 million people.
"There are some things you don't mind other people knowing, but your location isn't one of them," said Gary Laden, a privacy program director for BBBOnline, a Better Business Bureau subsidiary.
Private details that become public knowledge every time people visit Web pages and leave information, every address that the U.S. government sells, or every ATM transaction that dutifully records the time are just some of the ways that technology has been tracking individuals. But knowing someone's location at all times adds a significant new twist to tracking information about people.
Sprint is already offering an Enhanced 911 (E911) system in Rhode Island and sells a pair of phones that work on the system. In a year, Verizon Wireless says nearly half of all new handsets activated will have this capability. The FCC expects 95 percent of the cell phones sold in the United States by 2005 will meet the FCC guidelines.
Neither AT&T Wireless nor Verizon Wireless offer any E911 or related services yet. But both say they do not sell the information they already collect from their subscribers, such as a home address used to send a monthly bill. And they don't plan to do anything different with the location information once they do offer those services.
"We already know where you live, but we haven't made that available to anyone," Verizon Wireless representative Nancy Stark said.
Travis Larson, a spokesman for the wireless trade group Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association said the worry isn't so much the carriers, but the independent companies that provide the commercial services.
"Not all companies in this space will be CTIA members," he said. "Then you have a group of businesses unregulated."
So far, backers of two consumer privacy initiatives say they've begun talks with carriers about what they plan to do with the information they collect.
On Wednesday, AT&T Wireless spokesman Ritch Blasi said the company is the first U.S. carrier to have its privacy policies reviewed and approved by Truste, a coalition that approves online privacy policies, whose sponsors include AT&T Wireless, AOL Time Warner, Intel, Microsoft and others.
Truste and AT&T Wireless are also working together to create a uniform policy for what carriers should do with the information they collect. Blasi and a spokesman for Truste said they want carriers to tell subscribers that their location can be tracked, and what plans, if any, they have for the information.
Also Wednesday, supporters of a recently approved privacy standard known as P3P (Platform for Privacy Preferences) say they've also begun a dialogue with wireless carriers.
Some versions of Microsoft's Internet Explorer use P3P to automate the process of deciding if a Web site's privacy policies are good enough for a user. People can pre-load their Web browsers with preferences, such as whether they want a Web site to accept a browser's cookies filled with personal information. If the browser is directed toward a Web page, it'll seek out the privacy policies and determine if they match the preferred ones. If not, the Web page doesn't load.
Josh Freed, a spokesman for the Internet Education Foundation, said backers of P3P want to offer the same type of function to cell phone customers. "This way, every time there is an exchange of data, the phone alerts you if there is a conflict," he said.
The effort is very new, Freed and others warn, and is preceding even the existing technology.
"We have a blank page in front of us now," said J. Walter Hyer, AT&T Wireless chief privacy officer.
Mobile Guides
Foldable Phones
Mobile Accessories
Wireless Plans


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Children's National Specialists Share Best Practice in Pediatric Care at Arab Health Congress 2012
Dubai —Key leaders from Children's National Medical Center and the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation are participating in this year's Arab Health exhibition & congress, Dubai, UAE. Children's National President and CEO Kurt D. Newman, MD, spoke at the Arab Health 'Leaders in Healthcare' conference. Dr. Newman shared how Children's National is experiencing the positive impacts of focusing four integrated initiatives: quality, safety, service excellence/customer service, and access to care, around one central theme: doing what's best for the children and families cared for by the medical center.
Dr. Newman said: "The UAE has proven to be a vital hub for knowledge sharing in the field of health care. Arab Health presents a great opportunity for both Children's National and its Sheikh Zayed Institute to join our global colleagues in the discussion of how to re-imagine that field. We hope to use this forum to make creative connections that will build innovative, unconventional, and globally applicable ways of designing and delivering better health care to all people, no matter where they live."
Two other pediatric experts from Children's National participated in key discussions at the 5th Middle East Paediatrics Conference, also held during Arab Health.
Peter Kim, MD, PhD, Vice President of The Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation and Associate Surgeon-in-Chief, Children's National Medical Center, highlighted the importance of integrating research and education into the design of a healthcare system to improve clinical treatment and patient care in a sustainable way.
Marshall Summar, MD, Chief of the Division of Genetics and Metabolism, discussed the latest developments in the use of technological innovation in genetics for pediatric health care. His presentation shed light on these innovative developments, citing specific examples from his team's work on genetic testing and diagnosis in children. He outlined how the development of new technologies in biochemistry, DNA microarrays, and genetic sequencing have greatly expanded the diagnostic reach and scope of genetics beyond classic rare diseases.
Related Links:
- Hear Dr. Newman preview his panel at the Leaders in Healthcare conference.
- Read more about the Children's delegation in the UAE at SurgeryInnovation.org


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Fire investigators are trying to determine what caused a three-alarm fire Tuesday night at the Apple Inc. headquarters in Cupertino, but preliminary information suggests it was accidental, a fire captain said.
I'd look for an Apple TV sitting on a pile of paper. :)
But seriously, I'm glad no one was hurt. And especially glad I'm not a suspect.
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The integration of biomethane in concentrating solar thermal power plants would facilitate the commercial introduction of concentrating solar power (CSP) technology in the energy market, reducing both financial and environmental costs. Researchers belong to the European consortium of the Hysol project, who is led by the ACS-Cobra company, with the participation of Universidad Politécnica de MadridUniversidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) researchers. Currently, they are studying the integration process of biomethane. In order to conduct the validation of this process, this project is expected to build a pre-industrial plant located at the cluster of thermosolar innovation of Manchasol.
Sun is a free, renewable energy resource that can be used for large-scale electricity production. When using CSP technology, extremely high temperatures (400-1000 ºC) are reached which can move thermodynamic cycles similar to that are used in conventional power plants.
Spain is a pioneering country in the technological and commercial development of CSP technology, with 48 operating plants of 2204 Wme of capacity. United States has 20 thermosolar plants (956 MWe) and other countries with access to optimal solar resources (China, India, Israel, Mexico, South Africa, Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Australia, Chile, etc) have commercial plants or are under construction. The International Energy Agency (IEA) expects a large increase in the contribution of this technology for the worldwide electrical production with a capacity of 147 GW by 2020 and 1089 GW by 2050.
A big issue of CSP technology is that electrical generation depends on solar cycles, seasonal cycles and weather conditions. In order to increase the capacity and the power production control, these types of plants usually have thermal storage systems based on the usage of fossil fuels, mainly natural gas. The combustion of natural gas in simple cycles, such as the ones used in conventional power plants, can achieve reduced energy efficiency and can considerably increase the carbon footprint of the plant.
The ability to hybridize solar energy with other renewable energy resources such as biomethane considerably improves the financial viability of this technology, allowing a production of 100% renewable electricity. Gas consumption from renewable energy (biogas, biomethane or syngas) makes possible the usage of combined cycle technologies which are more efficient, sustainable and competitive.
The Spanish company ACS-Cobra is leading the Hysol European project (Innovative Configuration of a Fully Renewable Hybrid CSP Plant, FP7-Energy-2012-1. CP 308912), that aims to develop a new concept of a thermosolar/biomethane hybrid plant. This project involves the development, construction, operation and optimization of a pre-industrial infrastructure that will be based in the cluster of thermosolar innovation of Manchasol owned by ACS-Cobra. This facility will allow the research of biomass fuels integration in the gas phase (biogas, biomethane or syngas) at pre-industrial scale. This project will also be used as initial phase to verify and make financeable the technology in the market.
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ARMY OF THE PHARAOHS - Listen Up lyrics
rate me[Intro: Crypt the Warchild]
Yeah...Once again
It's like this..
AotP, we runnin' this rap shit now
Celph Titled, we runnin' this rap shit now
ES, we runnin' this rap shit now
Warchild, niggaz runnin' this rap shit now
[Verse 1: Celph Titled]
It's about to be a motherfuckin' slaughter in this bitch
We got the awfullest clips, rusty burners with the rotten rubber grips
We some hardcore crooks, drinkin' rubbing alcohol
Never use a rubber at all, we fuckin' bitches raw
Chokin' up your faculty, turn your whole "gang green"
Unload the magazine to your knees, give you a gangsta lean
Military minded, on the A-Train with a deranged brain
I was buildin' the walls of hell way before the flames came
And bitches love me with a MAC-11
Tellin' the police sketch artist I look like Jon B. with a deadly weapon
Keepin' it ghetto even when it's war, ock
Rockin' jean shorts and a tanktop, loadin' shells in the tank top
Aimin' the cannon to blast you where you standin'
You could be in Montana campin', but your head'll land in the Hamptons
Won't grin for the camera when you clickin' it at me
But I'll smile with a gun in my hand, I'm trigger happy
[Chorus x2: Crypt the Warchild + Vinnie Paz]
Listen up, it's murder music 'till your wrist is cut
Fire octane, nigga y'all can sip it up
We do this rap shit here so we can live it up
We walk around with hot flames runnin', give it up
[Verse 2: Esoteric]
You could never fathom the level beyond your God or your Devil
If every thought is a pebble (my style's boulder, I told you)
A radical rebel and yes the jacket's full-metal
And men I'm hackin' through several (I'm like a soldier, I'll fold you)
A blow to your composure, heat of the moment
I be meat-cleavin' a bleedin' opponent, he didn't want it
These heathens try to eat off me but they repeatedly clone it
This industry is mine, I can put my feet way up on it
I put my people up on it, my sinister and lethal ministry of evil
Turn a Vinnie Diesel to a skinny weasel
I'm the pinnacle and steeple of this faction, feeble men I'm smashin'
Playin' God? you ain't Jim Caviezel with The Passion
Automatic how I'm causin' havoc, I body maggots
Who thought they brought the static, they probably addicts
And fiendin' for a bag of this antagonistic savageness
You talkin' platinum but ain't crackin' pitchers' batting averages
[Verse 3: Crypt the Warchild]
Don't make me get your fuckin' face broken
I ain't jokin' when I'm flamethrowin'
I'll spit a verse at you to slit your fuckin' veins open
I'll spit a curse or two just to keep the rain pourin'
I'll lift the skirt of you to see you pussies ain't workin'
I'll live to murder you until I see the game's over
We never heard of you and 'cause of that, the name's worshipped
(It's the Army, cocksuckers) Get it correct
Or y'all can find sharp things straight embedded in necks
I rep my team to the death, I will slice your people
Wave my flags in the air, plus the knives are lethal
Hottest shit to hit the streets since Nas did Ether
Now we pick at your soul and let your conscience eat ya
And take over, Crypt, Es, and Celph
You reap what you sow, so protect ya health, NIGGA
[Vinnie Paz]
Yeah motherfuckers! That's how we get fuckin' down
AotP, Vinnie P., Crypt the Warchild, Celph Titled
Esoteric, Chief Kamach', Planetary, Apathy


text:
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Obama's Unconstitutional "Czars"By Alan Caruba August 31, 2009Here's a question that has been nagging me for months. Is Obama's ever-growing number of "czars" constitutional? I am not a constitutional scholar, but I have read the document. "Article II. Section 2. "He (the President) shall have power, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to make treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall appoint ambassadors, other public ministers and consults, judges of the Supreme Court, and all other officers of the United States, whose appointments are not herein provided for, and which shall be established by law; but the Congress may by law vest the appointment of such inferior officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the courts of law, or in the heads of departments." As I read it, the Constitution is very specific about whom the President may appoint and he can do so only within parameters "established by law" and this applies specifically to the "heads of departments." I interpret this to mean Cabinet Secretaries, all of whom must be vetted and approved for their positions by the Senate. The Republican National Committee's conservative caucus recently passed a resolution expressing their concern noting that "The U.S. Constitution explicitly states government officers with significant authority (called 'principal officers') must be nominated by the President and are subject to a vote of the U.S. Senate." Obama's appointments are clearly "principal officers" though it will be argued that they are only advisors to the office of the President. Clearly, Obama's appointments are not heads of departments, but they appear to have been granted an unknown degree of influence and control as regards their responsibilities. They function "in the dark." For example, since we have a Department of Labor, why do we need an "Auto Recovery" czar, Ed Montgomery, who reports to Larry Summers, the President's top economic advisor? What can he do to effect recovery? And, constitutionally speaking, is it lawful for the United States to have "ownership" of General Motors? Or any other private enterprise? I think not. Why does President Obama need a "Special Envoy for Climate Change"? Todd Stern reports to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, but we have the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that includes the National Weather Service. What exactly does Stern do and why? Stern is best known for having helped negotiate the Kyoto climate pact which was based on the discredited claims of a global warming that is not happening. It was instantly rendered void by the exemption of nations such as China and India. Meanwhile, the so-called energy and environment czar, Carol Browner, is reportedly coordinating policy in the same area as the "climate change" czar despite the fact that we have both a Department of Energy and an Environmental Protection Agency. I could go on, but the point, obviously, is that there is an enormous amount of overlap going on and it involves appointees who give the appearance of being doppelgangers to the existing Secretaries and the huge bureaucracies they oversee. They answer directly to the President, but presumably so do the Secretaries whom we occasionally see gathered around a huge table in Cabinet meetings. If these people who have not been approved by the Senate or occupy positions that have not been "established by law" and are not "heads of departments" exist solely at the pleasure of the President, are we not hip deep in some very muddy waters concerning who is answerable to the Senate or Congressional committees? I am of the belief that Obama has methodically gone about creating a shadow government of men and women with undefined powers, but who likely have even more influence with the Oval Office than those who hold office under the mandates of the Constitution. To borrow a term from the White House, it all smells "fishy" to me in ways that go beyond just the provision of advice and which likely intrude deeply into the process by which laws and regulations are drafted and enacted. There are now some thirty or more of these "czars" and they represent a threat to the authority of the Congress and could be utilized in some manufactured "crisis" to take control of the federal government, dispensing with the rule of law.
Alan Caruba is an American public relations counselor and freelance writer who is a frequent critic of environmentalism, Islam and research on global warming. In the late 1970s Caruba founded the PR firm The Caruba Organization, and in 1990, the National Anxiety Center, which identifies itself as "a clearinghouse for information about 'scare campaigns' designed to influence public policy and opinion" on such subjects as global warming, ozone depletion and DDT. |


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Test::Harness - Run Perl standard test scripts with statistics
Version 2.64
- use Test::Harness;
- runtests(@test_files);
STOP! If all you want to do is write a test script, consider using Test::Simple. Test::Harness is the module that reads the output from Test::Simple, Test::More and other modules based on Test::Builder. You don't need to know about Test::Harness to use those modules.
Test::Harness runs tests and expects output from the test in a certain format. That format is called TAP, the Test Anything Protocol. It is defined in Test::Harness::TAP.
runs all the testscripts named
as arguments and checks standard output for the expected strings
in TAP format.
The prove utility is a thin wrapper around Test::Harness.
Test::Harness will honor the -T
or -t
in the #! line on your
test files. So if you begin a test with:
- #!perl -T
the test will be run with taint mode on.
These variables can be used to configure the behavior of Test::Harness. They are exported on request.
The package variable $Test::Harness::Verbose
is exportable and can be
used to let runtests()
display the standard output of the script
without altering the behavior otherwise. The prove utility's -v
flag will set this.
The package variable $Test::Harness::switches
is exportable and can be
used to set perl command line options used for running the test
script(s). The default value is -w
. It overrides HARNESS_PERL_SWITCHES
If set to true, and Time::HiRes
is available, print elapsed seconds
after each test file.
When tests fail, analyze the summary report:
- t/base..............ok
- t/nonumbers.........ok
- t/ok................ok
- t/test-harness......ok
- t/waterloo..........dubious
- Test returned status 3 (wstat 768, 0x300)
- DIED. FAILED tests 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19
- Failed 10/20 tests, 50.00% okay
- Failed Test Stat Wstat Total Fail List of Failed
- ---------------------------------------------------------------
- t/waterloo.t 3 768 20 10 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19
- Failed 1/5 test scripts, 80.00% okay. 10/44 subtests failed, 77.27% okay.
Everything passed but t/waterloo.t. It failed 10 of 20 tests and exited with non-zero status indicating something dubious happened.
The columns in the summary report mean:
The test file which failed.
If the test exited with non-zero, this is its exit status.
The wait status of the test.
Total number of tests expected to run.
Number which failed, either from "not ok" or because they never ran.
A list of the tests which failed. Successive failures may be abbreviated (ie. 15-20 to indicate that tests 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 failed).
The following functions are available.
This runs all the given @test_files and divines whether they passed or failed based on their output to STDOUT (details above). It prints out each individual test which failed along with a summary report and a how long it all took.
It returns true if everything was ok. Otherwise it will die()
one of the messages in the DIAGNOSTICS section.
Runs all the given @test_files
(just like runtests()
) but
doesn't generate the final report. During testing, progress
information will be written to the currently selected output
filehandle (usually STDOUT
), or to the filehandle given by the
parameter. The out is optional.
Returns a list of two values, $total
and $failed
, describing the
results. $total
is a hash ref summary of all the tests run. Its
keys and values are this:
- bonus Number of individual todo tests unexpectedly passed
- max Number of individual tests ran
- ok Number of individual tests passed
- sub_skipped Number of individual tests skipped
- todo Number of individual todo tests
- files Number of test files ran
- good Number of test files passed
- bad Number of test files failed
- tests Number of test files originally given
- skipped Number of test files skipped
If $total->{bad} == 0
and $total->{max} > 0
, you've
got a successful test.
is a hash ref of all the test scripts that failed. Each key
is the name of a test script, each value is another hash representing
how that script failed. Its keys are these:
- name Name of the test which failed
- estat Script's exit value
- wstat Script's wait status
- max Number of individual tests
- failed Number which failed
- canon List of tests which failed (as string).
should be empty if everything passed.
- my($leader, $ml) = _mk_leader($test_file, $width);
Generates the 't/foo........' leader for the given $test_file
as well
as a similar version which will overwrite the current line (by use of
\r and such). $ml
may be empty if Test::Harness doesn't think you're
on TTY.
The $width
is the width of the "yada/blah.." string.
- my($width) = _leader_width(@test_files);
Calculates how wide the leader should be based on the length of the longest test name.
is exported by Test::Harness by default.
, $verbose
, $switches
and $debug
exported upon request.
All tests successful.\nFiles=%d, Tests=%d, %s
If all tests are successful some statistics about the performance are printed.
FAILED tests %s\n\tFailed %d/%d tests, %.2f%% okay.
For any single script that has failing subtests statistics like the above are printed.
Test returned status %d (wstat %d)
Scripts that return a non-zero exit status, both $? >> 8
and $?
are printed in a message similar to the above.
Failed 1 test, %.2f%% okay. %s
Failed %d/%d tests, %.2f%% okay. %s
If not all tests were successful, the script dies with one of the above messages.
FAILED--Further testing stopped: %s
If a single subtest decides that further testing will not make sense, the script dies with this message.
Test::Harness sets these before executing the individual tests.
This is set to a true value. It allows the tests to determine if they are being executed through the harness or by any other means.
This is the version of Test::Harness.
This value will be used for the width of the terminal. If it is not
set then it will default to COLUMNS
. If this is not set, it will
default to 80. Note that users of Bourne-sh based shells will need to
export COLUMNS
for this module to use that variable.
When true it will make harness attempt to compile the test using
before running it.
NOTE This currently only works when sitting in the perl source directory!
If true, Test::Harness will print debugging information about itself as
it runs the tests. This is different from HARNESS_VERBOSE
, which prints
the output from the test being run. Setting $Test::Harness::Debug
override this, or you can use the -d
switch in the prove utility.
When set to the name of a directory, harness will check after each test whether new files appeared in that directory, and report them as
- LEAKED FILES: scr.tmp 0 my.db
If relative, directory name is with respect to the current directory at
the moment runtests() was called. Putting absolute path into
may give more predictable results.
When set to a true value, forces it to behave as though STDOUT were not a console. You may need to set this if you don't want harness to output more frequent progress messages using carriage returns. Some consoles may not handle carriage returns properly (which results in a somewhat messy output).
Usually your tests will be run by $^X
, the currently-executing Perl.
However, you may want to have it run by a different executable, such as
a threading perl, or a different version.
If you're using the prove utility, you can use the --perl
Its value will be prepended to the switches used to invoke perl on
each test. For example, setting HARNESS_PERL_SWITCHES
to -W
run all tests with all warnings enabled.
Setting this to true will make the harness display the number of
milliseconds each test took. You can also use prove's --timer
If true, Test::Harness will output the verbose results of running
its tests. Setting $Test::Harness::verbose
will override this,
or you can use the -v
switch in the prove utility.
If true, Test::Harness will output the verbose results of running
its tests. Setting $Test::Harness::verbose
will override this,
or you can use the -v
switch in the prove utility.
Defines the Test::Harness::Straps subclass to use. The value may either be a filename or a class name.
If HARNESS_STRAP_CLASS is a class name, the class must be in @INC
like any other class.
If HARNESS_STRAP_CLASS is a filename, the .pm file must return the name of the class, instead of the canonical "1".
Here's how Test::Harness tests itself
- $ cd ~/src/devel/Test-Harness
- $ perl -Mblib -e 'use Test::Harness qw(&runtests $verbose);
- $verbose=0; runtests @ARGV;' t/*.t
- Using /home/schwern/src/devel/Test-Harness/blib
- t/base..............ok
- t/nonumbers.........ok
- t/ok................ok
- t/test-harness......ok
- All tests successful.
- Files=4, Tests=24, 2 wallclock secs ( 0.61 cusr + 0.41 csys = 1.02 CPU)
The included prove utility for running test scripts from the command line, Test and Test::Simple for writing test scripts, Benchmark for the underlying timing routines, and Devel::Cover for test coverage analysis.
Provide a way of running tests quietly (ie. no printing) for automated validation of tests. This will probably take the form of a version of runtests() which rather than printing its output returns raw data on the state of the tests. (Partially done in Test::Harness::Straps)
Document the format.
Fix HARNESS_COMPILE_TEST without breaking its core usage.
Figure a way to report test names in the failure summary.
Rework the test summary so long test names are not truncated as badly. (Partially done with new skip test styles)
Add option for coverage analysis.
Trap STDERR.
Implement Straps total_results()
Remember exit code
Completely redo the print summary code.
Straps->analyze_file() not taint clean, don't know if it can be
Fix that damned VMS nit.
Add a test for verbose.
Change internal list of test results to a hash.
Fix stats display when there's an overrun.
Fix so perls with spaces in the filename work.
Keeping whittling away at _run_all_tests()
Clean up how the summary is printed. Get rid of those damned formats.
Please report any bugs or feature requests to
bug-test-harness at rt.cpan.org
, or through the web interface at
I will be notified, and then you'll automatically be notified of progress on
your bug as I make changes.
You can find documentation for this module with the perldoc command.
- perldoc Test::Harness
You can get docs for prove with
- prove --man
You can also look for information at:
The source code repository for Test::Harness is at http://svn.perl.org/modules/Test-Harness.
Either Tim Bunce or Andreas Koenig, we don't know. What we know for sure is, that it was inspired by Larry Wall's TEST script that came with perl distributions for ages. Numerous anonymous contributors exist. Andreas Koenig held the torch for many years, and then Michael G Schwern.
Current maintainer is Andy Lester <andy at petdance.com>
Copyright 2002-2006
by Michael G Schwern <schwern at pobox.com>
Andy Lester <andy at petdance.com>
This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.


text:
We have 4 days to make 30 accessories for a last minute commission.................with a trip to £ Land, the race is on and the floor is getting covered in offcuts and scraps...........
Saturday 8 December 2007
Friday 7 December 2007
Thursday 6th Dec: A.R.E Weapons
My friends Matt and Brain are currently over from NYC for a few gigs. I caught them at Madame JoJo's last night at Electrogogo. This is a flyer from a night when I first met them in 2001 when i was interning in New York .............
They are playing again on Saturday at RichMix, check their website for details
They are playing again on Saturday at RichMix, check their website for details
Thursday 6 December 2007
Wednesday 5th Dec: Black Balloon
Here is a recent acquaintance of mine called Bethan. I love her makeup and it fits quite well with the cheeky little character in Scotts
embroidery from the last post. She has just started an M.A at the Royal
College in product design but also runs her own successfuljewellery line. She makes necklaces from a design of tessellating pieces of wood so that there is no waste in the manufacture.................
Tuesday 4 December 2007
Tues 4th Dec: Scott Ramsay Kyle loan
This is the work of the embroiderer extraordinaire Scott Ramsay Kyle. For fashion week in September he lent me a dream dress with rainbow metallic fringing which was the most cosmic thing I have ever worn. Unfortunately for me these pieces are out on shoots at the moment so i couldn't borrow another one for the Burberry party. But he did lend me this incredible piece of art! I dread to think how many hours of thumb gruelling stitching went into this. I Love it so much!
Monday 3rd December: Burberry Fragrance Launch
The exterior of Koko was decorated with Burberry umbrellas and the interior was walled with a mirror panelled tunnel. 3 gigantic screens covered the main auditorium with a looped projection of Agyness Deyn dancing. A chandelier of perfume bottles sparkled above our heads as a reminder of the reason behind this elaborate event. Boombox kids instigated an impromptu vogue dance-off which gave a refreshing spectacle to the otherwise corporate atmosphere of the very British Burberry tone. London is definitely kicking again.............literally.
Monday 3 December 2007
Monday 3rd December: Dai Rees
Whilst outside LCF I bumped into Dai Rees who I interned for in 2001 and haven't seen for years. He has been a real inspiration to me in his creativity from found materials and also for being just a generally gorgeous sole. Here is an example of his millinery from the collection that I worked on in which he used goose plumes...............he first experimented with these feathers from collecting them whilst walking his German shepherd on Finsbury Park................he stripped them down to the spine to make the glittery spiky head cages for the early MQueen show pieces.................
Monday 3rd December Chris Moore: A Catwalk Retrospective
Holly and I had some books to return to LCF library so stalled by the retrospective exhibition of Chris Moore. A well edited selection of images from early black & white shots of house models holding number cards to current couture shows with the elaborate fantasy world sets. A fantastic memory jolt of collections that you might have forgotten about and insight to the original artist of the press pit.
Sunday 2nd Dec BoomBox
Here we are.........the green team......... Neel and his boyfriend John at one of the last ever nights of BoomBox................so much fun and a complete coincidence that I was in green to match my friends who travelled from Brighton ..............and carried their costumes (dustbin lid et all) around Madame Tussards before getting ready to come to the club...............
Sunday 2 December 2007
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text: If you are a lawyer, there is a serious danger that someone at the Super Bowl party you attend is going to want to talk about an NFL-related legal issue. Did Cowboys owner Jerry Jones really have standing to challenge Commissioner Roger Goodell's salary package? What is the status of Colin Kaepernick's collusion lawsuit?… More


text:
Two years ago, Republican Scott Brown's surprising election to the Senate made stars out of Mitt Romney confidant Eric Fehrnstrom and his partners at The Shawmut Group, the consulting firm credited with guiding an obscure GOP state senator to a statewide victory in left-leaning Massachusetts.
For the 2012 political cycle, the group worked exclusively on two high-profile races: Brown's attempted reelection to the Senate seat once held by liberal icon Edward M. Kennedy, and Romney's Republican presidential campaign.
In the aftermath of stinging losses in both contests, Republican insiders have raised questions about whether the group spread itself too thin with two of the biggest races in the country.
"I think for any consulting firm, either race is a full-time job," said a local Republican political consultant, who declined to be named, in an interview. "So I don't know how you have two full-time jobs and do them both well . . . I don't know that they're necessarily to blame, but clearly there wasn't the effort made on the Brown side to develop a ground game." Brown lost his race by 8 percentage points to Democrat Elizabeth Warren.
Some Republicans also questioned how the firm could effectively serve clients who had such different messages. Throughout most of 2012, Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, ran as a hard conservative, while Brown positioned himself as a bipartisan moderate.
Fehrnstrom said the firm is proud of what it accomplished over the last several years. "It's been an honor for us to have helped Mitt Romney go from the governor's office to the Republican presidential nomination, and to have played a part in Scott Brown's historic 2010 victory," Fehrnstrom said in an e-mail. "Those experiences have meant a lot to us personally and professionally." He referred questions about the GOP criticism of his company to the Brown and Romney campaigns.
Several Democratic political strategists defended Shawmut Group, crediting the firm for getting Brown elected two years ago against all odds and for helping Romney win his party's nomination.
"When you help lead someone to the nomination of a major political party, this is not an insignificant achievement," said Democratic political strategist Tad Devine, a Providence native who worked on Al Gore's presidential campaign in 2000 and the 2004 Kerry-Edwards campaign. "If I were a Republican looking for people to hire, I'd talk to them."
But Stonehill College political scientist Peter Ubertaccio said the high-profile defeats could tarnish the consulting firm's golden reputation. "When you lose two marquee races in the same cycle, that can't help but take some of the luster off," he said.
Massachusetts, which has had a knack for producing home-grown presidential contenders, has also produced many national political strategists, many of whom were connected to Kennedy. Shawmut, which Fehrnstrom formed with fellow Romney administration veterans Beth Myers and Peter Flaherty, became known nationally in January 2010, after managing Brown's near-flawless campaign to defeat Democrat Martha Coakley in a special US Senate election after Kennedy died in office.
Republican candidates were eager to hire Shawmut to duplicate Brown's success, but the consulting group has not won a race since. Shawmut lost six other races in 2010, and fell short again this year with Brown and Romney.
Despite the losing record, Shawmut Group "will have a second life here," said Charles Baker III, a former campaign adviser to Kennedy and the presidential campaign of Senator John Kerry and John Edwards. "You have a firm that's battle-tested. Maybe 15 Republican operatives in the country have that kind of perspective and skill set."
Romney's campaign manager, Matt Rhoades, defended Fehrnstrom and his partners. They played, at times, pivotal roles on the campaign. Myers ran Romney's vice presidential search, which finally landed on US Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin. Flaherty served as the campaign's liaison to the socially conservative wing of the Republican Party. Fehrnstrom, a former Boston Herald reporter, was the communications specialist who often spoke for the campaign in media interviews and on TV news programs.
"Our campaign was highly satisfied with the work of the Shawmut Group," said Rhoades. "They were always available to me and Governor Romney when we needed them." The consultants "were integral and trusted members of the strategy team and were involved in everything from message development and debate prep to the vice presidential vetting process.
"They are longtime, loyal supporters of Governor Romney and I admire all three of them as real political pros," said Rhoades.
Brown campaign manager Jim Barnett praised Shawmut's "professionalism, work ethic, and political savvy."
"If I did not know better, I would have thought we were their only client, based on the commitment they demonstrated every single day and the thoughtfulness of their advice," said Barnett. "From my perspective as a client, any criticism directed at Shawmut does not have the benefit of being informed by reality."
In the small world of political consulting, losing is not always an indictment of the campaign consultant, said Democratic strategist Chris Lehane, a Harvard Law graduate who worked in the Bill Clinton White House and was an adviser to Gore.
"At the end of the day it's the candidates who make the decisions," said Lehane. "When I worked for Bill Clinton, I was a genius. When I worked for Al Gore, people thought I wasn't quite so smart."
He said Brown's 2010 win remains a credit to the firm, due to the high degree of difficulty. "To me the true test of a consultant is, 'Do you win races in states you shouldn't win races?' "
Stephanie Ebbert of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Mark Arsenault can be reached at email@example.com.